The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-09-16
Drift OF Tariff discussion.

When the tariff question Comes up
for action, as well as debate, the Repub-
licaus will not present a united front any
more than the Democrats. Not SO much
in fact. There is evidence OF this on
every hand. The protection the Repub-
licans OF Pennsylvania demand is some
thing very different from what the Re-
publicaDs of the West aud some parts
of New EnglpId are willing to concede.
Minnesota is a free trade 81 ate. Iowa,
Wisconsin,, Kansas, Illinois and Nebras-
ka. for the most part, are the same, or
will be when .he question comes to
direct vote on reducing duties, and aban-
dons the oratoricsl stage. The tariff is
local and a pocket SOok question.
People will vote reduce duties if their
pecuniary interests are that way, just as
they will vote protection for the same
consideration. The purely agricultural
States are, or will be, of necessity, for
revenue tariff, and for a revenue tariff
| ''only" In any event the necessity OF
1 raising the greater part OF the revenue
by tariff duties will insure a comfortable
/ degree of protection for industries that
need protection. This leaves room for
wise discrimination, and the whole ques-
/ tion IS resolved into a business question
OF expediency andIcompromise what is
best for the business interests of the
whole people, having proper regard for
what may be called the vested rights OF
| certain interests that have grown up
under the protection policy. This is not
difficult OF determination II approached
in the right spirit.
The Chicago Tribune is probably the
most influential paper in the Union in
! reaching the great public-the Republi-
| can public-that will eventually make
itself heard from the Northwest as we'll
| as the Central Western States. In a
late issue Is insists that congress shall
heed the demand that is coming from the
| Western farmer for cheaper woolens,
lumber, iron, glass and other fablics.
1t repudiatas the idea OF taking OF the
tax on whisky or tobacco and keeping 1t
on the necessaries Of life that go TO make
up the shelter. raiment and food or the
American people. We quote from al
article In a late issue OF the Tribune:
The margin OF possible profit 10 the
Western farmer IS eaten up by the exces'
sive bounty he is compelled to pay on
building material. clothing, household
goods tools, furniture, agricultural i'm
plements and other manufactured arti-
cles properly classed among necessaries.
The war tariff is still maintained on the
farmers 10 feed greedy millionaire man.
ufactuTers in the East, and flood the
United States treasury with surplus
revenues-an excess so great that il
oveETuns wasteful government exHen-
ditures and is banked up in the treasury,
threatening a severe currency contrac-
tion unless relief is found by paying a
premium on bonds ! Surely ii is time
for the farmers OF the West to demand
relief from these inoIdinate exactions.
They have no tariff prOtectiou-thelI
productions are sold in the markets OF
the world at q low free-trade scale al
prices, and everything they buy is listed
at q high bounty monopoly rate. 1t Is q
shame and disgrace that Congress has
permitted this uncOnscioRable fleeing
OF the farmers TO continue so long.
Such articles as this are read by ten:
Of thousands OF Republican farmers
every day as they appear in :he Tribune
the 81. Paul Pionser-PreSS and other
leading journals. They show ohei drift
OF tariff discussion. .-P.iISG.GTgP Post.